1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to inkjet printer systems and, more particularly, to an ink tank with features spaced apart by distances ensuring interface with a printhead and carrier support structure of an inkjet printing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional inkjet printing system forms an image on a print medium by ejecting ink from a plurality of ink jetting nozzles of an inkjet printhead to form a pattern of ink dots on the print medium. Inkjet printing is accomplished without contact between the printing system and the print medium. Such printing system typically includes a receptacle-like support structure mounted to a reciprocating carrier of the printing system. The carrier support structure permanently or at least semi-permanently mounts the inkjet printhead and also removably supports one or more ink containers or tanks in which ink is stored and from which ink is supplied to the printhead. The ink tanks may be removed and replaced once their ink is fully consumed during the printing operation.
Typically, a plurality of replaceable ink tanks are employed for supplying the printhead with inks of different colors, such as black (or mono), yellow, cyan and magenta. In one embodiment of the printing system, a multi-ink tank is utilized for holding the three ink colors, yellow, cyan and magenta, in separate compartments. The multi-color ink tank when properly seated in the carrier support structure mates in a sealed ink supplying relationship with the printhead mounted on the carrier support structure.
As disclosed in the first patent application cross-referenced above, the carrier support structure and the ink tanks have features that must properly interface with one another to operatively seat the ink tanks in the carrier support structure in the sealed flow communicative relationship with the printhead.